Pope Leo 'very much sent a message' with latest move in feud with Trump: NYT reporter

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By Bennito L. Kelty
Published May 1, 2026 7:39 PM ET

Pope Leo wants President Donald Trump to embrace everyone and said so with his decision to send a one-time undocumented immigrant to serve as the bishop to lead Catholics in West Virginia, a journalist argued.

"The pope is very much sending a message," said New York Times journalist Lulu Garcia-Navarro during an appearance on CNN on Friday. "The message is of universality, right? That it doesn't matter your skin color. It doesn't matter your story. The church embraces all of that."

Pope Leo appointed Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, born in El Salvador, as the new bishop of a diocese that covers all of West Virginia on May 1. "By moving someone like this to a very white state, he is indeed sending a message," Garcia-Navarro argued.

https://www.rawstory.com/leo-immigration-trump/

[Cha]

1. TY.. I hope Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala

stays safe in West Virginia.